Please note that the laws conveyed are the views of the authorities cited in each post, but other authorities may disagree. Please check with your halachic authority.

All points of view are welcome in this forum, if expressed civilly. For personal manifestos, please start your own blog.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The 17th of Tammuz

Hi,

Sunday July 20th is the fast of the 17th day of the month of Tammuz, and it begins a three-week national Jewish mourning period. [In Allentown the fast begins at 4:36 AM and ends at 9:10 PM.] We'll spend some time discussing this fast, and the three week period of national mourning it initiates.

On the 17th of Tammuz one neither eats nor drinks, but - unlike the fasts of Tisha b'Av and Yom Kippur - one may wear leather shoes and wash normally.